Power-operated vise



Oct. 27, 1953 P. s. BECKER 1 POWER-OPERATED vIsE Filed March 16, 1948 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 POWER-OPERATED VI SE Philip S. Becker, Fairview Township, Erie County, Pa.

Application March 16, 1948, Serial No. 15,079

This invention relates generally to vises and more particularly to pneumatically operated power vises.

Power vises heretofore provided have had great difdculty in sealing the connections between the sliding pistons therein and their engaging surfaces. This has been particularly troublesome because of the heavy vibration of the vise due to the impact of the jaws. This prior sealing trouble has also made lubrication of the sliding parts of the device very difficult and the wear on the moving parts of these prior power vises has been excessive and considerable replacement of the sliding parts have been necessary.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a novel power operated vise which overcomes the above and other defects in presently operated power vises and it is more particularly an object of my invention to provide a power vise which is simple in construction, economical in cost, economical in manufacture, and efficient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel sealing means for the moving parts of a pneumatically operated power vise.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel sealing means for a pneumatically operated power vise which permits eflicient and adequate lubrication of all parts of the moving parts of the vise.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a transverse vertical sectional view of my novel pneumatically operated power vise; and

Figure 2 shows an enlarged partial view taken in section similar to Figure l of certain of the parts of my invention.

My invention herein shown may be utilized with any conventional hand operated vise now on the market. The vise itself may be of any suitable form, size and construction. Referring now to the figure in the drawings, I show a fixed jaw I, a movable jaw 2 having a slide 3 extending through a guide 4 in the fixed jaw I, and a screw 5 conventionally held from endwise movement having a handle 6 at its front end. In convenl tional hand vises, the screws have a threaded connection with a stationary nut. 'Ihe fixed jaw I is mounted on or includes a suitable base 'I which in turn is mounted on a work bench. A body Il is mounted in the rear of the fixed jaw I and a piston I0 is connected to the operating 1 Claim. (Cl. 121-38) screw 5 by the threaded member I4.' The body 8 may be mounted on or fixed to the iixed jaw I. It may be secured tothe xed jaw in any suit-i able manner. The piston I0 moves in a cylinder I3 at the rear end ofthe body 9; the cylinder I3 and the piston I0 being axially aligned with the screw 5 and the connecting threaded sleeve nut Iii. Thepiston I0 has a central aperture I5 for receiving the reduced portion I6 of a connecting member I'I having an internal threaded portion I8 for threadable engagement with the threaded end I9 of the sleeve nut I4. A Washer 2D and a nut 2| secure the piston I0 on the reduced portion I6 of the connecting member I1. The cylin` der I3 has a cap member 22 secured thereto by screw bolts 23. The cap member 22 has a centrally disposed threaded aperture 24 for receiving a screw bolt 25 having a stop nut 26 for limiting the longitudinal movement of the piston I0. The end of the cylinder I3 on one side of-the piston IU is connected to a suitable source of motive fluid, preferably air, through apipe 2l so so that the piston I0 is thus actuated in one dvi-urection only by the motive fluid and in the oppo site direction by a spring 26 disposed between the piston IU and the end cap 22. 'Ihe end cap`22 has an internally bossed portion 29 for nesting one end of the coil spring 28.

Y Of particular importance in my novel power vvise is the sealing connection between the front wall 50 ofthe cylinder I3 and the connecting member I1 reciprocable therein. The bore 30 in the wall 50 hasa counterbore 32 and a grooved portion 33, spaced from the outer side of the connecting member I1 to permit the insertion of a U-shaped` washer or packing ring 35 vin the groove 33. the forward end 36 thereof adjacent the member I1 formed in arcuate shape so that a small portion thereof does not sealingly engage the outer surface of the connecting member I1 thereby permitting a lubricant to pass thereunder. It will thus be evident that lubricating material may pass both ways along the connecting member I1 past the U-shaped packing ring 35 without destroying the seal between the U-shaped packing ring 35 andthe member I1.. The piston I0 has an annular washer 40 disposed in an L-shaped peripheral groove 4I and secured by an annular'clamping ring 42 and screw bolts 43 to provide a seal between the piston I0 and the `inner peripheral surface of the cylinder I3. The

lubricating material is supplied to the connecting member Il through holes I'lb and I'Id by means of a conventionel oil can or the like. The

The U-shaped packing ring 35 has pressure side of the piston I0 by the opening of the control valve (not shown) in the pipe 21 to exhaust position, the piston I0 is at the right end of the cylinder I3, it being shifted to this position by the spring 28. The vise may then be used as an ordinary hand vise by operationof the handle 6, at which time the vsleeve nut I4 will be held stationary against axial and rotary movements. To limit the closing movement, whenthe vise is operated by power, the screw bolt 25 is withdrawn a distance equal kto the amount `it is desired to set the closing movement of the jaw 2. For example, if this is one half of an inch, the screw bolt 25 is withdrawn one half of an inch, so that its inner end is spaced one half of an inch from the end of the member I1. When air is allowed to enter the right end of the cylinder I3 through the pipe 2l by they opening of the intake and the closing of the exhaust of the control valve (not shown) the piston l0 is actuated to` close the jaws I and '2 until the screw bolt 251s encountered by the end othe member Il. When the control valve is again opened to exhaust, the air from the cylinders I3 passes through the pipe 21 and spring 28 moves the piston I0 to the right end of the cylinder I3, thus shifting the member II and connecting sleeve nut I4 and screwV 5 as a unit to the, right, opening the jaws .I and 2. Y

I AThe member I'I'is lubricated by any suitable means and because of the arcuate shape of the innerside of the ,U-shaped packing ring 35 in engagement with the member I1 lubricant will pass from the cylinder i3 to the cylindrical member 9 vand .vice versa without losing the seal between the U-shaped packing ring 35 .and the member I1. Furthermore, upon increases in pressure of the iiuid in vthe cylinder I3, Ythe U- shaped washer35 will expand thereby always providing a perfect seal between the member vi'l and walls 5D. ItV has been foundV that a slight projecting peripheral portion such as portion 34 adjacent 'one Vleg of U-shaped packing ring 35 will hold it in position and against longitudinal movement while still permitting free lateral movement of the leg engaging the member I1.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel power vise with novel sealing means whereby parts in sliding and frictional engagement are fully lubricated at all times. Y

Various changes may be made in-the specific embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the lappended claim.

What I claim is: Fluid operated means for power operating the movable jaw of a vise comprising an open cylinv der having a wall with an axial bore and counterbore, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a connecting member between said piston and said movable jaw of said vise slidable axially with said piston land extending through the bore in said cylinder, uid means for urging said piston for moving said movable jaw, and a U- shaped ring disposed in said ccunterbore in the wall of said cylinder, said U-shaped ring having the free ends thereof extending toward theinner side of said cylinder and also having the end portions of the inner leg of said U-,shaped ring in engagement with said connectingmember iiared outwardly away from said connecting member whereby a lubricantv may pass under said ring in either direction while saidlring maintains a seal. Y v

PHILIP s. BECKER.

References Cited in the file of thisrpatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name V1,129,717 Hogan Dec. 15, 1914 1,213,457 Candler Jan. 23, 1917 1,436,860 Church Nov. 28, 1922 vr1,456,014: Stevenson May 22, 1923 1,697,516 Shaw et a1 Jan. l, 1929 2,149,641 Temple Mar. 7,` 1939 V2,264,062 Wilder Nov. 25, 1941 2,289,597 Seat July 14, 1942 2,394,383` Heesen Dec. 5, 1944 .2,492,338 Vickers Dec. 27, 1949 2,493,696 Potstada Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date y 332,372 Germany J an. 31, 1921 ,f Great Britain Apr. 28, 1932 

